Art by Amanda Oleander
Short, independent reflections of pregnancy from us both.
From mom
In just a few weeks, our family will grow from two to three. Knowing every pregnancy is unique, I am fortunate to reflect on the past 7 months with overall comfort and ease. I’ve largely taken each month at a time and have been lucky to have friends and family who have been through the experience guide from afar. Special shoutout to my OBGYN sister for answering every question regardless of the time of day with patience.
I see myself as a vehicle to bring life into this world and I’ve let go of having control in the outcome. The phrase “life is a miracle” really never sunk in until last year. After our first pregnancy in April ended in a miscarriage about 6 weeks in, I was simultaneously devastated and comforted in that I had personally done nothing wrong to cause it. What did surprise me was the number of miscarriages among the women around me and how even in 2025 it is not discussed enough.
When we got pregnant again a few months later, I was optimistic that Varun and I were meant to be parents. We strapped in and never looked back. Every appointment has become a little ritual and we’ve been lucky that baby is healthy and growing at the right pace. I’ve also been able to maintain the same level of physical activity and work travel. This boy is probably sick of my voice though. He’s been in one too many board rooms and already traveled internationally 3 times (Ireland, Costa Rica, and Mexico City).
I’ve read zero books and avoided social media advice because I’m relying on strong intuition about pregnancy, labor, postpartum, and taking care of a newborn. Opinions are flowing from every corner already so I hope to maintain my resiliency on this as we get enter the phase of actually raising a child in this world.
My favorite part of all of this has been watching Varun add “dad” as a title. He’s already been dad-like since we met, but the anticipation of baby boy’s arrival has left me in hormonal bliss about the father of my child.
The countdown is here. We’re ready for you, lil nug.
Love, Mama P (31w1d)
From dad
For visitors: Pranitha is well into her third trimester, week thirty-two, day 224-ish. Stairs are getting harder and baby’s kicking is relentless, especially when he presses on that darn bladder. But her eating is good and the nursery is coming together. We finally bought a car seat. All systems clear for now. That was important for me to get out of the way, as all anyone is wondering these days is “How’s Pranitha doing?!” She’s doing great.
Fatherhood has always been a far off destination in life. In my twenties there were more immediate priorities like finding a girlfriend. Which was honestly hard and random. But as they say, it happens slowly and then all at once. Now I’m six weeks away from welcoming a baby boy into this world, the beginning of rest of my life.
Here are some things I feel. For one, pretty useless! There’s the human-builder and there’s me. Pound for pound there are only so far oil massages, food, and encouragement contribute in this equation. But I do enjoy the nurturing.
I feel very lucky. Lucky that our marriage is an indestructible, bomb-proof source of love (talk to me in six months). We’ve worked hard to get here and will continue to. And lucky that baby is this close. After our miscarriage last May, I expected a rocky journey but we were fortunate to rebound relatively quickly. It quickly helped me realize how little control we have, a good reminder for this upcoming chapter.
I feel awe of women and their bodies. That Pranitha’s body knows how to create a living being is mystical. I learned that when a woman gives birth to a girl, that girl is born with a lifelong supply of eggs. So that woman is not only creating her child, but also pieces of her grandchildren. Unbelievable. I’m grateful my mom went through pregnancy for me.
I wonder what it will feel like when my heart leaves my body. I wonder what he will look like and what his personality will be! I wonder what it’s like to not need nice things but want the best things for your kids.
Neither of us has read a book or subscribed to internet advice. And I’m pretty proud of that? I don’t think information is what will help us in the end. I’m looking forward to parenting through intuition.
And most of all, I’m excited to do it all with Pranitha. She is the joy! Pranitha is going to be the best mom and I can’t wait to embark on this journey together.
Varun (Dad)
Bonus! Here’s a short first trimester recap made by Varun